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Earlier this year, I was presented with a dilemma. I wanted to read Diamond Willow to my students before the Newbery announcement. But because the story is told in diamond-shaped poems with bold words throughout, I knew my students would need to see the text in order to fully appreciate it. I couldn’t afford to buy a class set this late in the year- how could I share this great read-aloud while not going broke?

Then it hit me. This is the 21st century! I realized I could share the novel by utilizing my classroom document camera! On January 15th, I posted this idea on my blog.

…the students can see the poems as I read them, just like if they had the book in their hands. It’s the first time I will be combining technology and literacy this way, and I can’t wait to see how it goes! Will the experience of reading the book on the board, via the camera, be the same as reading the book in your lap? It should be a lot of fun and I can’t wait to find out!

I was a bit hesitant at first, as my normal read-aloud routine involves all eyes on me, the one with the novel. I was afraid some of my students would be distracted by the document camera, the projector, or just the opportunity to stare at the book’s projection. But as we began, all of my fears dissipated. My students were enthralled! They loved reading along with me and were mesmerized by the diamond-shaped poems with the embedded bold words. Thanks to technology, I was able to share a read-aloud with my students that we otherwise wouldn’t have been able to experience together.

Both classes loved the novel. I shared some of their reactions back in January:

“More books should do the bold words thing. It’s so cool! They tell you what the character is thinking deep down.”

“It must have been really hard to write a whole book using the right diamond shapes and making sure you had all the words for the bold parts.”

“This was my favorite book that we read all year.”

“This was an awesome book!

Thanks to my document camera and a projector, I was able to share an amazing read-aloud with my students!

We are almost finished reading Chains as our current read-aloud. Both classes have about 25 pages to go, and they were begging to read more today! We ended right after Isabel escaped from the potato bin. The greatest sound in the world is the united groans of 20 6th graders begging you to continue reading a read-aloud!

Seeing as the Newbery will be announced in a little over a week, we have slightly altered our read-aloud plans. I plan to finish Chains tomorrow, complete with an awesome discussion. We then have Monday off for Martin Luther King Jr., Day. My class begged that we read Diamond Willow beginning on Tuesday. After considering the logistics for about a second, I said, “Of course!” At 108 pages, and with a lot of white space, I think we can finish it before the announcement is made. Then we will have read three books that are on numerous mock Newbery lists.

Diamond Willow will present some interesting challenges. The diamond-shape poems and the bold words throughout need to be viewed to be appreciated. I think I will show the book using my document camera. This way the students can see the poems as I read them, just like if they had the book in their hands. It’s the first time I will be combining technology and literacy this way, and I can’t wait to see how it goes! Will the experience of reading the book on the board, via the camera, be the same as reading the book in your lap? It should be a lot of fun and I can’t wait to find out!

Diamond Willow by Helen Frost is a short, concise story that packs a powerful punch. I finished it yesterday afternoon and it is still on my mind. The action of the story takes place over the span of a few short days, but don’t make the mistake of assuming nothing happens. Willow grows and changes more in those days than most middle-schoolers do in a lifetime.

This is a gorgeous book, despite the fact that there are no illustrations. Instead, this verse novel is told in a series of diamond-shaped poems, based on the shape of the diamond willow. Within each poem, a few words are bolded and when from top to bottom, they form a poem-within-a-poem, the heart of the story. Every single diamond is different, and the word choice in each poem is amazing. I sometimes stopped on a new page just to look at shapes, which almost served as illustrations.

The story is simple and middle-grade students will easily connect with Willow and her family. Willow is a 12-year-old part-Native Alaskan who lives in a very remote town, accessible by snowmobile, plane, and boat. She is struggling with herself, with school, and with finding happiness. She begs her parents to mush the sled (with three of their six dogs) to her Grandparents house one weekend. While they say no at first, she is determined to prove her maturity and they finally give in. But on the way back there’s an accident. From there, it builds and to go on would spoil the rest of the story, so I will stop there. but I will say you should pick this up immediately!

One of my favorite parts of the story was Willow’s connection to the past. She struggles throughout the book, all the while unaware that the animals surrounding her carry the spirits of dead ancestors and friends who care for her. I loved this aspect of the story, so simple and serene in it’s beauty. It was comforting, and who hasn’t caught a glimpse of nature and felt the flicker of recognition, the momentary thought that someone or something is watching out for us? I also loved the theme of respect and love of nature. I seek out environmental themes in my books and this one did not disappoint.

Diamond Willow is a must-have for middle school teachers, and I expect it may even get some Newbery love next month!